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I knew they were from Leeds, but hadn't heard any music by them before. I really enjoyed them and bought the record, but I couldn't help feeling, very unfairly (and based on no real logic), that they would have been so much 'better' or 'cooler' if they'd been from, say, California. They have a sound which would suit them better if they were American I think. The fact are from Leeds (or England at least) very mildly irked me.

Similarly, I'll generally give a band I haven't heard before more time if I know they're the USA or Japan or somewhere 'exotic' like that.

There's no real reasoning to this - the feelings aren't logical or reasoned in any way - it's more a gut reaction.

Maybe it's because i'm likely to have had similar experiences to UK-based bands, whereas more international bands are likely to have had different experiences and influences and this will lead to music i'm less used to hearing and is therefore more exciting.

I don't know. It's clearly ridiculous, but I always think it when I hear a UK-band that produces a type of music I strongly relate to another part of the world in my head.

Where if a British band is making whats seen to be ''American'' sort of music then they get ignored or looked down on (maybe seen as being fake or wanna be americans), whereas if they were actually american they'd probably be seen as cooler or more worthy or coverage.

Likewise if a band is see as being very British (Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, Blur and other countless knock offs etc) then they are lauded as being more authentic (proper haircuts, proper working mens clubs etc).

it wasn't as if they were faithfully recreating a particularly American sound/genre. I actually find it more intriguing when a band don't sound like you'd imagine them to given where they originate from rather than say...another grunge band from Seattle/another black metal band from Norway etc

of bands from abroad definitely plays into how i approach listening to them. i like more american bands than anything else but that's also a lot to do with the fact that it produces so very many.
hookworms, though, regardless of being from leeds, a place i've only ever been to once and got shouted at for having a hat on, are cocking brilliant.

If he wasn't Parisian it'd be run-of-the-mill alt-80s revivalism, but chuck in a bloke singing in French in an insouciant manner & you raise the whole enterprise to an entirely new level of sophistication, to my Francophile ears at least.

I DON'T QUITE KNOW THE DISTANCE BUT I'M SURE IT'S FAR, YEAH I'M SURE IT'S PRETTY FAR... AND YES I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU ALL MY PROBLEM: YOU'RE NOT FROM NEW YORK CITY, YOU'RE FROM ROTHERAM, SO GET OFF THE BANDWAGON, PUT DOWN THE HANDBOOK.

being from overseas. Even if some New York band is really from the New York version of Peckham. It works for all sorts, Sigur Ros seem so much more cool, relaxing and soothing with the Icelandic imagery of fresh air, ice and geysers springing to mind. Again, even if they are from a Reykjavik council estate.